Ruapehu, New Zealand

Conference Sponsors ...

Four iconic journeys connected

Introducing The Great Journeys of New Zealand, KiwiRail’s new tourism brand that brings together the best of our Scenic trains and Interislander ferries under one brand.

We now have a single, bigger and more compelling New Zealand story to tell our domestic and international tourism markets. Offering the simplicity of a single package connecting the North and South Islands, it is the most enjoyable way to experience New Zealand at its best.

Visitors can step on board at Auckland and journey with us through the heart of the North Island on the Northern Explorer arriving in our coolest little capital, Wellington.

From Wellington, they can take a cruise with us to the South Island on board the Interislander ferry. Then from Picton, visitors can explore the Pacific coast on board the Coastal Pacific*. The meandering route through the magnificent Marlborough Sounds is recognised as one of the most spectacular ferry journeys in the world. Our last journey is the world-famous TranzAlpine, which departs daily from Christchurch to Greymouth and back.

The Great Journeys of New Zealand – connecting travellers to the spectacular experiences our country has to offer.

*The Coastal Pacific service is not operating in 2017 due to damage to the rail track.

Our Premium Sponsor

Located deep within King Country lies a 142km railway that time (almost) forgot. The tracks were revitalised in 2012 by Forgotten World Adventures to give visitors to the North Island’s King Country a new way to experience the rugged beauty of the surrounding native bush and sheep farming country.

In a self-driven Rail Cart or on Rail Bikes, visitors can travel along the Forgotten World railway line through tunnels and over bridges to townships that have faded into the past. With 24 Tunnels and 98 bridges the line travels through some of the most scenic rural, native bush, rugged hills and isolated areas of the Central North Island.

An all-weather option in the Ruapehu region, Forgotten World’s tours options range from 3hrs to 1, 2 or 4 days. Rail and River combo tours include jet boating on the Whanganui River. A great soft adventure visitor remember for a long time.

Hobbiton™ Movie Set is an experience to tantalise the senses of visitors from all across the globe, as guests find themselves engulfed in the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of The Shire™, at the home of the Hobbits™, as featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies.

The extraordinary following that the movies have amassed has led to our tours becoming a must see while travelers are in New Zealand.

The Hobbiton Movie Set is the only set that remains intact from the trilogies, and that allows our visitors to fully immerse themselves in the wonders of The Shire.

Visitors are given the once in a lifetime opportunity to see an iconic movie set in its full glory; from Hobbit Holes, the Mill and the world-famous Green Dragon™ Inn, where guests can sample our exclusive, beverages to conclude their Middle-earth adventure.

Weta Studio Tours is your gateway to immersive filmmaking experiences in Wellington, New Zealand. Join us on a journey from Middle-earth to Tracy Island and beyond, get up close to incredible miniatures, props, weapons, creatures, vehicles, and models, and learn the secrets behind filmmaking here on the Miramar Peninsula!

Plunge headfirst into 20 years of award-winning creativity with our Weta Cave Workshop Tour. Learn all about the practical effects crafted for the likes of The Lord of the Rings, District 9, and King Kong. A must-see for Middle-earth fans and anyone who wants to learn the secrets behind the movie magic!

Ever wanted to know how Weta Workshop makes incredible miniatures? Our Miniatures Stage Tour: Thunderbirds Are Go takes you on a journey through the authentic Weta Workshop miniatures that bring the popular television show to life!

Film buff, or just love cool stuff? Weta Studio Tours is the home of our famous Weta Cave shop. A cavern of creativity, its shelves are packed Weta-designed items – from collectibles and art prints, to books, jewellery and more.

Southern Discoveries delivers high quality tourism experiences in Queenstown and Fiordland including cruises in Milford Sound and Queenstown, as well as cycling, kayaking, underwater observatory, farm experience and coach trip inclusions. The company also specialises in private charters and conference and incentive packages.

Southern Discoveries operates two vessels on Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. The Queenstown Scenic Cruise sails to Mt Nicholas High Country Farm where visitors can choose to add a specialised excursion to their cruise. Excursions include the Mt Nicholas Farm Experience, where guests meet the working farm animals and take a four-wheel-drive tour to spectacular vantage points. Newly introduced is the Station 2 Station Cycle Trail, a half day cycling trip between Mt Nicholas and Walter Peak.

Southern Discoveries operates four vessels at Milford Sound ranging in capacity from 35 to 400 passengers, and offers the widest range of trips and experiences in the fiord. The company operates Scenic Cruises, Encounter Nature Cruises, Nature Cruises, Cruise and Kayak Milford Sound and the Discover More Cruise, which incorporates a visit to the Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory.

Our family owned business was founded in Fiordland by tourism pioneers Les and Olive Hutchins in 1954. Real Journeys is now one of New Zealand’s leading tourism companies but still remains true to our founders’ guiding principles of conservation and southern hospitality.

Experiences we offer include:

- Milford Sound Nature, Scenic and Overnight cruises

- Milford Track Day Walk

- Doubtful Sound Wilderness and Overnight cruises

- TSS Earnslaw steamship cruises

- Walter Peak High-Country Farm, including

Gourmet BBQ lunch and dinner options

- Te Anau Glowworm Caves

- Stewart Island ferry services, Lodge and activities on the

island including Wild Kiwi Encounter

- Multi-day Discovery Expeditions

- Cardrona Alpine Resort

- International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch

- Queenstown Rafting

- Go Orange – our value and active brand

Real Journeys values its relationship with the i-SITE network and is pleased to be a sponsor of the 2017 conference.

We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, so you can be assured your customers will get to experience a real taste of kiwi hospitality!

Sailing several times a day between downtown Wellington (just opposite the Railway Station) and Picton, the Bluebridge journey takes just over three hours. Operating two ships, the Straitsman and the Strait Feronia, the Bluebridge service offers a relaxed, intimate journey with a maximum of 400 people and around 250 cars per sailing. If they can tear their eyes away from the view, customers will ﬁnd everything they need aboard to make their trip a comfortable and enjoyable one. They can sit back and enjoy a free recent release movie, have a glass of award winning Marlborough wine at the bar, or just relax and surf the free Wi-Fi in their very own private cabin or in any of our lounges.

We offer a competitive range of prices, from discounted fares to fully ﬂexible options. Plus, customers can change their sailing time up to 24 hours before departure without penalty if their travel plans change unexpectedly.

Tourism is vital to the New Zealand economy and AA Traveller aims to play an important role in this. Not only through the printing of over 3 million maps and guides each year, but also through the work we are doing outside publishing to support the industry.

AA Traveller aims to be a champion for travel around New Zealand.

We remain one of the most trusted travel brands in the country! We’ve been helping Kiwis travel around this beautiful country of ours for over 100 years.

Membership is the highest it has been in the 110-year history of our Association and advertising with AA Traveller means accessing over 1.5 million AA Members, and we’re growing.

With a strong non-Member following too, there’s never been a better time to talk to us about our print and digital advertising solutions.

A successful i-SITE is one that gets more visitors through the door month on month/year on year. Managing an i-SITE and developing growth is a key component of being able to attract the necessary funding and Bellwether gives you a tool to showcase this data.

The Bellwether System eradicates the old school door counters, leading the way with a 3D camera that guarantees 95% plus accuracy rates. Whilst the technology is top notch, the software that is accessible from any smart device, including your phone is what puts Bellwether in a league of their own.

All data is captured in real time and can be searched historically, it’s perfect for including in your reports.

Because it’s cloud based, you can integrate booking or transaction numbers and tap into conversion rates, or identify what weather patterns affect numbers, or attract different visitor types. Once installed, there is no need to touch the system, rely on staff to write down numbers, or half the figures to get entries only, the Bellwether system is intuitive and tracks visitors movements directionally. Join the growing number of fellow i-SITEs who are coming on board and share your data with the group to gain an insight into how your numbers compare to other locations.

VisitorPoint are proud to be the original and only national industry distributor of travel information in New Zealand, providing service to over 2000 display outlets.

More than 10.8 million brochures have been distributed over the last 12 months to travellers in New Zealand through our combined network of circuits and our well-established trade website. VisitorPoint are national travel specialists dedicated to the travel & tourism sector providing warehousing, distribution and point of display services nationwide.

Over 3.5 million brochures have been dispatched and tracked through our advanced online ordering system www.VisitorPointOnline.com over the last 12 months. We are a passionate and experienced team focused on helping an increasing number of tourism businesses cost-effectively reach travellers close to their point of purchase. In addition to our merchandising services, we also provide collateral management and display management.

Specialists in the travel industry, we have the knowledge and flexibility to design and provide services for any requirement and budget. VisitorPoint in every sense is a one-stop-shop for tourism collateral management.

At Pikitia Postcards we believe New Zealand is the most beautiful country on the planet. With a diverse culture, unique flora and fauna, and stunning, majestic landscapes, this country offers a unique experience for the traveller. Our aim at Pikitia Postcards is to help you spread this message with our postcards.

Our fresh, modern designs showcase this land of ours at its best, with stunning imagery produced to the highest quality. This approach has proven to resonate with tourists and has helped us achieve incredible growth over the last few years.

We work with many i-SITEs throughout the country and are proud to be a sponsor of the 2017 conference.

We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the i-SITE Network at the conference and helping you show this land of ours at its best.

DX Mail (DX) is New Zealand's only dedicated business mail specialist, providing kiwi businesses with mail solutions for over 40 years. DX began in the 1970s as an interchange system for lawyers exchanging documents between practices. One of our key strengths is a network of nationwide sorting and delivery branches enabling customers to get their mail across town and regionally within 1-2 days. Furthermore, our knowledgeable, passionate and experienced staff ensure your item is delivered in a timely manner.

DX services extend from prepaid and machine-franked envelopes through to track and trace courier bags, parcels and comprehensive FM solutions. DX clients include SME’s, large multinational corporates, and government agencies. DX can deliver your business or residential item to national or international destinations. DX operates a niche market in generic and personalised stamps using colourful and dynamic designs to illustrate the story of NZ using icons/kiwiana, native flora/fauna, regional/local scenery and tourist attractions. These ‘miniature billboards’ as they are often referred, are now the first-choice postage option for tourists visiting our beautiful country every year.

IBIS Technology have been designing reservation and point of sale systems for the New Zealand tourism industry since 1995. Our systems are used in many sectors ranging from activity and transport operations, booking and information centres, to spas and attractions.

IBIS are proud to have over 65 visitor centres throughout the i-SITE network using our system. We thank you for your strong support.

As our largest industry partner, it’s exciting to work with i-SITEs to achieve success - whether it’s streamlining online reservations, or providing you with activity booking solutions during Cruise Ship season - you have embraced our technology and made it work for you.

We are continually refining our Ticketing, Point of Sale and Stock Management systems to ensure they meet your needs. We look forward to bringing you new functionality throughout 2017/18 including the launch of our new ecommerce platform!

With the largest lift accessed terrain and highest lift in New Zealand and a massive 722m of Vertical descent, Mt Ruapehu provides MORE terrain, MORE choice and MORE freedom. One Mt Ruapehu lift pass gives you access to both Whakapapa and Turoa Ski Areas.

Bookeasy is a leading destination software management system for the Tourism industry. They are a specialised tourism service that integrates with a Visitor Information Centre to enhance the visitor experience. The system is currently adopted and trusted by over 170 destination partners and over 45,000 Tourism Operators across Australian and New Zealand alone.

Our Supporting Sponsors

NZ made

BookIt has over a decade of experience handling online bookings for the New Zealand tourism industry. We are a New Zealand based team, and we are proud to work with over 3,500 tourism businesses nationwide.

We have been transporting Kiwis and international visitors around New Zealand for more than 30 years. Today we operate New Zealand's largest passenger transport network with the combined networks of InterCity, GreatSights and Gray Line. Together InterCity and GreatSights connect to more than 600 destinations nationwide, with over 130 services every day.

InterCity offers quality point to point bus transport on modern vehicles at economic fares nationwide, with fares starting from just $1 (plus booking fee) on all services. All our buses are equipped with free WiFi.

GreatSights and Gray Line provide premium coach services between major cities and to and from New Zealand's key tourist destinations.

GreatSights was founded in 1987 and operates the most comprehensive range of premium day sightseeing tours in New Zealand. Our nationwide network provides luxury sightseeing tours to destinations throughout New Zealand including the Bay of Islands, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Christchurch, Mount Cook, Queenstown and Milford Sound.